Rare 12" Singles For 80's Music Lovers Around The World

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Ric Ocasek ‎– Jimmy Jimmy / Connect Up To Me (1983)

Ric Ocasek (born Richard T. Otcasek; March 23, 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist (along with Benjamin Orr) and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars.

Ric Ocasek’s breakout success was as a founding member of the new wave band Cap’n Swing, later renamed The Cars, which had numerous hit songs from 1976 to 1988. He played rhythm guitar and sang lead vocals on many tracks, as well as playing keyboard instruments and bass. Ocasek was the principal songwriter of the band, and wrote nearly all of The Cars material, sharing credit on only a few songs with bandmate Greg Hawkes as co-writer. During his time with The Cars, Ocasek developed a reputation as a successful producer, and took this role for many up-and-coming bands of differing genres including, but not limited to Weezer, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Nada Surf, No Doubt, Guided by Voices, Bran Van 3000, and Suicide, as well as some of The Cars albums and singles.

The singer released his first solo album in 1982. Beatitude is a somewhat more experimental variation of The Cars’ New Wave rock sound. It was released by Geffen Records and features Greg Hawkes of The Cars on keyboards, as well as Jules Shear and Stephen Hague from Jules and the Polar Bears.

Geffen released Jimmy Jimmy & Connect Up To Me as extended & remixed versions on the US 12″ single, “Jimmy Jimmy” was mixed by Ian Taylor And Ric Ocasek while “Connect Up To Me” was remixed by Francois Kevorkian and Mark Fotiadis.